Cracks
by Lolsome-o-sis girl
Summary: RE-UPLOADED FINALLY. Melody, a new girl at Garside Grange, seems perfectly average at first glance. But, of course, there's more to her than meets the eye. This is what happens when vampires and time lords meet each other... DISCLAIMER
1. Chapter 1

_**Cracks **_

_**Dr Who/Young Dracula**_

_**T**_

_**A.N: Hey guys. Just my luck, I had the first chapter of the new Cracks all typed out, and guess what? MY COMPUTER CRASHED! I've typed it again up as best I could. I hope you all like it! Also, some people will take one read of this and go "Hey, Melody is Rory's child, what the hell are you on, you weirdo?" but I think that this works better, so, if you don't like that idea, you might want to stop here. Anyway, for the people that are left, enjoy!**_

My mother drove me to the train station on the day that I was due to leave. It was five degrees – a very nice day for Leadworth, if you think about it. The sky only had a light covering of clouds, and so I was able to wear some of my less wintery clothes. I was dressed in a lace shirt – white and sleeveless – with my usual attire of jeans. I also had a parka, with a fuzzy brown hood. I would need it later.

Up in the north of England, there's a small part of rural Lancashire, and it was to here, and a small, backwards school called Garside Grange that I now sent myself. I must have contracted some kind of mental illness. No one would ever go there of their own accord. Well, if they were sane, anyway – something I clearly wasn't. I had been to the area many times, and I didn't like what I saw.

"Melody," Mum said, as we waited for my already-running-late-train. "I don't want you to go. You really don't have to do this."

"Mum!" I huffed. "Don't worry, it'll be great. I really want to go." That was a lie, of course. I was usually an expert liar, but, after saying this so many times, my abilities had started to wear down.

"Tell your Dad I said hi."

"Of course I will."

"Email me every day, young lady. And I'll see you both really soon, okay?" she promised rashly. "You can come home any time you like. Rory really likes you...you know that, right?" I sighed. My mother was like an open book – she was so easy to read.

"Mum, it'll be fine, I promise. Besides, you and Rory still have River...whoever and wherever she is."

Mum sighed – the usual reaction that she gave to whenever I mentioned River Song, whose identity I still didn't know. She hugged me hard, as the train rolled into the small station.

"Have fun." Those were the last words I heard her say, before I got on, and the train doors slid shut in front of me, cutting us off. I was alone.

It was a four hour journey to the station where I was meeting my father, including two train changes. The long travel journey only gave me time to fret and worry; the travelling didn't bother me – it was the meeting my Dad that worried me. He'd been fairly...um...generous about the whole thing. He'd registered me at Garside Grange, as there wasn't another high school around for miles, and promised to help me buy a car, despite the fact that I was only seventeen and had no driving experience.

It was raining when I eventually arrived at the station. I never saw the sun in Leadworth, so this wasn't an issue for me. Still, a girl could dream...

The Doctor was waiting for me by the station exit, when I stumbled off the train with my suitcase and rucksack that contained my few possessions.

"Good to see you, Mel," he said, catching me when I nearly fell over, which I was prone to do. Being a half time lord really did have some drawbacks. "You haven't changed at all. How are the Ponds?"

"Mum and Rory are fine. It's good to see you again too, Doctor." I wasn't allowed to call him Dad to his face – he had a thing about it. He took my few bags – most of my clothes were too permeable for Lancashire – and carried them out of the station. We only lived around the corner.

The Doctor had bought a house for us when I was five years old, when he and Mum had started to share custody of me and I had come to stay every summer. He was clearly more awkward living in the house than me, and it surprised me now that he was up for living in the house permently.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked. He started blushing.

"Well...I, err...thought that you would be more...comfortable here than in the TARDIS...so..."

"Oh, Dad – I mean, Doctor, you didn't have to do that."

"Is it too much?"

"No. It's perfect, as always. Thank you."

"Well, now, you're welcome," he mumbled, blushing to the tips of his ears.

The house we lived in was a small, two story terrace house, made out of custard yellow wood. A small red garage was tucked around the side of the house, where the TARDIS was kept. The Doctor carried my few possessions indoors, up the narrow staircase, to the first floor landing. There wasn't much on this floor, only The Doctor's study, my room and a tiny bathroom that I would have to share with my father. Something I didn't like thinking about – at least in Leadworth I had my own bathroom. I had the west facing bedroom here, the one which had always belonged to me. The hard wooden floor, the denim blue walls, the pale peaked ceiling, the thin curtains around the small window – these were all fragments of my childhood. The old rocking chair from the TARDIS library was tucked in the corner.

"You still like purple, don't you?"

"Purple's cool, Doctor. Thank you."

My favourite thing about my father? He knows when to not hover around, when I need space. He left me alone to clean myself up after my long journey. It was relief to stare out of the window, to silently panic about my terrifying day tomorrow. Garside Grange had a scarily low total of four hundred and eight – now four hundred and nine – students. Not many people lived around here, but everyone who went to school here had grown up together, passed through the awkward adolescent milestones together. I was the new girl from the country village; a freak show, the stranger from the back of beyond.

Of course, if I looked anything like my mother, I could work this to my advantage. I should be feisty, Scottish, with flame coloured curls and glittering green eyes. Instead, I was short, with unnaturally fair skin, which I guessed was plausible due to living in the sunless village that was one up from the back of beyond (Ittringham was the back of beyond. There were only four houses and a pub there.) I looked more like my father than my mother – I had his dark, wavy hair, his chocolate eyes, and his clumsiness. The only part of my mother that had found a way into me was her short temper.

As I just finished putting my clothes away in the pine dresser, I heard the doorbell ringing. I went downstairs, just in time to see The Doctor fling the door open so hard that it nearly fell off of its hinges.

"Dude, did anyone tell you that you're not meant to _break_ the doors when you open them?"

"Jack!" the two of them embraced, whilst I watched, coming into the hall. "Hey, Melly, you remember Jack Harkness, don't you?"

"Yeah. Hey, you're looking good for a thousand years old."

"Well, I'm still down with it," Jack grinned at me. "I'm glad that you're finally here. Someone's got to keep _him_ in check."

"Excuse me! What happened that day was not my fault! You put lethal quantities of alcohol in my orange squash!"

"Yeah, yeah, keep talking," Jack winked at me. I chuckled.

"Anyway," The Doctor clearly wanted us to get off the subject of his drunk escapades. "Did you bring it?"

"Did you really think I wouldn't? For this lovely young lady?"

"Jack," The Doctor sighed. "I know that you flirt with anything that has a pulse, but, please, this is my daughter. And, honestly, you're old enough to be her great – great – great – great grandfather, at the very least."

"What did you bring?" I asked.

"Come and see," Jack led me outside, to where a large orange truck was parked. "It's a chevy."

"What make?"

"A step-side C-10."

"Oh," I nodded. "Nice. Is it yours?"

"Not anymore," The Doctor said. "So, what do you think?"

"Of what?"

"Your home-coming present."

"This?" I stared at him. Wow. A free car.

"Just bought it off Jack for you."

"I rebuilt the engine for you."

"Aw, guys, you didn't need to do that," I blushed. "I wouldn't know anything about fixing it if something went wrong. Besides, I can't even drive."

"All time lords can drive!" The Doctor protested firmly. "It's in your blood, little Pond."

"Are you sure?" I glanced at the brick orange beast of a vehicle.

"Positive."

"Oh. Well, then, thank you."

"Well, now, you're welcome, little Pond," he mumbled humbly. I grinned. Now my horrific day tomorrow wouldn't be so horrific; I wouldn't have to pick between catching a leaky school bus, and walking for forty-five minutes in the rain. That had to be a plus point, right?

Freezing fog was all I could see out of my window when I woke up the next morning. It was like a cage – I could feel the familiar feeling of claustrophobia falling over me. I was already running late on my first day – hardly the best example to set. I dressed quickly, in a light purple shirt and grey jeans. They were a bit too summery for the current weather, but I didn't want to overdress. One look in the mirror showed me that my hair was impossible, so I scraped it back into a pony tail, before running downstairs with my bag. I grabbed a piece of toast from the plate The Doctor had set out for me, hurriedly munching as I wrestled with my parka, whilst running for the front door.

"Whoa, Pond!" The Doctor caught me by the back of my hood. "Don't I get a kiss before you go?"

"Meh!" I huffed, pecking him on the cheek. "Bye, Doctor."

"Have fun," he called to me, as I scurried out into the fog. I rolled my eyes. Fun? Here? Sure.

I couldn't pause to admire my truck as I would have done – the weather and lack of time was making everything impossible, as I staggered along the driveway in my converses. I pulled the hood up on my parka, as the mist clung to my hair.

Inside the truck was warm, the faint smell of tobacco in the air. It started quickly, to my intense relief, but roared like a caged lion. The Doctor was right – I could drive. The old heater and antique radio worked – something I had not expected. I didn't even think that they had radios in cars back then, not that I ever told anyone that – as I roared up the road in my lion-sounding truck.

The school was just like everything else around here: in the middle of nowhere. It didn't look much like a school – only the sign on the gate, which proclaimed it to be Garside Grange Independence Day School made me stop. It was a large, maroon coloured, square building, with a large courtyard in the middle, surrounded by clipped hedges and a thick brick wall. I drove around the school, looking for a way in. Eventually, I saw a gap in a hedge, and drove through, knocking off a few branches in my wake. Clearly, no one had seen a large Chevrolet pickup driving through here, when they cleared this space. I parked by a small building; a sign in front of it saying FRONT OFFICE BLOCK. No one else was there, so I was pretty sure that it was off-limits for students like me. However, I would rather get directions, without circling around the buildings like a deranged vulture. Reluctantly, I left the warm truck and walked up the stone steps to the office door.

_Calm down_, I told myself. _It'll be fine. Relax. Breathe._

Resolved, I went inside.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A.N: Yay! Chapter 2! I recently watched Beautiful Creatures at the cinema – it was so good! It gave me some ideas for this chapter. So, here it is! Also, Young Dracula is introduced now! Whoo!**_

The office was warmer than I expected, with posters and flyers covering every available space that I could see. I was faced with a small glass counter, divided up into three mini offices. One was occupied by a young, dark haired woman with glasses. The nameplate on her desk identified her as Miss Alex McCauley, head teacher. She was dressed in a velvet cardigan, which made me feel overdressed in my jacket.

She looked up, as the door banged against the wall behind me. "May I help you?"

"My name is Melody Pond," I said. "It's my first day." I saw her eyes widen; I gritted my teeth. Someone could have done me the courtesy of telling – no, warning – me that I was expected.

"Oh, of course. I have your timetable right here." She flicked through the stack of paperwork on her desk, until she found my schedule and a map of the school, which I doubted that I would need, due to the size of the place. Miss McCauley went through a very long, very boring explanation of every class, highlighting the best routes to follow. I forced myself to pay attention. When she'd finished, she smiled, and hoped that I would enjoy myself at Garside Grange. I tried to make my answering smile as convincing as possible. I turned away from her, heading back outside. I had only just opened the door when I heard it.

"_Tick tock goes the clock  
And all the years they fly  
Tick tock and all too soon  
You and I must die…"_

I paused, turning back. I expected Miss McCauley to be looking for the source of the song too, but she had gone back to her paperwork. She looked up, feeling my eyes on her.

"Was there something else you wanted?" she asked pleasantly.

"No. Nothing…thank you." I tacked on a piece of courtesy at the end.

"Well, then, run along now. You don't want to be late on your first day of school, do you?"

"No, we wouldn't want that," I muttered, stepping back out into the wintery conditions. I went back to my warm truck, pulling away from the office, following the line of traffic that had now started to build up. It led to a small student car park behind the school, which was already a quarter full. I swerved into the first spot I saw, trying to pretend that the deafening noise wasn't coming from my vehicle. I stuffed all of the paperwork, except the timetable, into my rucksack, and hitched it up on my shoulder, sighing.

_I can do this_, I lied feebly. _No one is going to hurt me._

I slammed my truck door, following the line of students heading into the building. I was glad to see that my jacket didn't stand out with everyone else. I made it inside alive, heading down the corridor, towards Room Eighteen, for Maths. I paused outside the door of the room, listening.

"Did y'all hear?" someone said. "There's a new girl at Garside."

"Becky, no one cares!" someone else replied. "There are new girls here all the time!"

"Erin, the last time that there was a new girl in our class was when you transferred over! Besides…" the voice paused for dramatic effect. "She's Dr Smith's daughter!"

"Seriously?" Another voice chimed in. "She's related to that weirdo?"

"Seriously, Kate, I heard it with my own ears! She's being transferred over from her little village school."

I sighed, pushing the door open. I walked quickly to the back of the room, cheeks flamed, thirty pairs of eyes on me.

"Is that her?" someone hissed.

"Of course it's her!" The one called Becky scoffed, not even bothering to conceal her voice. "She's got his eyes. Can't you see?" I walked faster at this comment, almost tripping over the side of my desk, raising a few giggles from the faces watching me. Luckily, a teacher who I didn't know started the class, and most people's attention diverted from me. The one called Becky still whispered about me all through class. When the bell rang, a shrill piercing sound, I scurried out of the room as fast as I could.

The rest of the morning passed in a similar fashion. Most of my classmates were too shy to talk to me, whilst others followed Becky's example and talked about me, despite the fact that I was sitting in front of them.

Only one person would talk to me decently – a girl who I had Biology and French with – walked to lunch with me, whilst we were ignored by everyone else. She was taller than me, with wild curly hair and deep grey eyes. She chatted to me as we walked, and I nodded along with her banter, as I had forgotten her name as soon as she spoke it.

We sat at an empty table in the corner, me drooping over a cheese sandwich, the girl continuing her constant babble. I glanced around the small canteen, as the door beside me opened, and a large group walked in. One of them – a dark haired, blue eyed boy – turned to glance at me at he passed, eyes focused on me. The blonde girl by his side tapped him on the shoulder, giving him an odd look. My eyebrow went up slightly; making the girl I was sitting opposite stop and follow my gaze. I suddenly remembered that her name was Sarah.

"Who are they?" I asked her.

"Ignore them," she said sourly. "They're not important." I wondered why she didn't answer the question. I wanted to press her on it, but, since she was the only real friend that I had, I decided to drop the subject.

We spent longer in the canteen than I realized. I hurried to class, Sarah two steps behind me. As I reached the classroom door, I heard it again, just as I did this morning.

"_Tick tock goes the clock  
And all the years they fly  
Tick tock and all too soon  
You and I must die…"_


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor wasn't home when I got back after my long day of school. I unlocked the door using the key hidden under the plant pot, slumping against the front door as I shut it.

It had been one of the worse days of my life. And it was only Monday. Four more days of it, until I was free for a little while. Then it would start all over again.

I threw my bag onto the stairs, and went into the kitchen to start making dinner. Last night, me and The Doctor had agreed that I would take over some of the kitchen duties whilst I was here. It was mainly because he could not cook a pizza to save his life, and refused to phone out for one, in case someone tracked it down to us. He was always worried about that – someone finding out what we were, why we were different to everyone else.

I got started with what little I could find in the cupboards, deciding on omelette since we had eggs. I left the egg sizzling for a few moments, checking my emails for the first time since I arrived. I already had three, all sent from my mother.

"Melody," my mother wrote...

_Write to me as soon as you get there. Was your journey okay? Is it raining? I miss you already. Rory says hello, and that he misses you as well. Tell me everything – what is your new school like? I hope you have a good first day. Also, I can't find the earrings from Aunt Sharon. Do you know where I put them? She's coming to dinner on Friday. Love you lots. Mum. Xxx._

I went to the next one. It was sent eight hours after the first.

"Melody," she'd written...

_Why haven't you replied yet? I'm waiting. Mum._

The last was from ten minutes ago.

_Melody Allison Pond,_

_If I haven't heard from you by six tonight, I'm calling your father. Don't think I won't._

I checked the clock, as I rescued the omelette from the cooker. I still had two hours, but my mother was well known for her rash decisions. Hastily, I typed out a reply.

_Mum. Stop fussing. I'm writing right now. Of course it rained yesterday. I'm fine, how are you? School is okay, I guess. It's harder being the new girl than I thought it was going to be – don't start worrying, it's all good. Your earrings are in the box under my bed, I think. Say hi to Rory and Aunt Sharon for me. Thanks. I love you. Melody._

I decided to do a bit of reading, as I dished up the food. I found my tattered copy of _The Hunger Games_ and was reading when The Doctor came home.

"Mels?" he called, as he locked up behind him. I wondered if he was expecting someone else.

"Here! Hi, Dad – I mean, Doctor!" I yelled, cursing silently at my mistake. His head appeared around the kitchen door.

"You made dinner?" he asked, looking slightly wary. My mother was an experimenter in the kitchen, and some of the things she made were not exactly edible...or non-toxic.

"It's omelette," I reassured him. "Here, take some." I handed him his plate of food, and went to sit with him in front of the sofa, whilst he put the news on that neither of us really watched. Just as Mum had, he tried to probe answers out of me.

"So, how was your first day?"

"Fine."

"What are the kids like?"

"Okay, I guess."

"Are people nice?"

"No."

"Melody..."

"Doctor, I don't want to talk about it," I said. "I'm going to my room, okay? Homework to do." I left my plate in the kitchen, and ascended the stairs, dragging my rucksack along behind me. I slammed my bedroom door when I reached my room, switching on my bedroom light, and my bedside lamp, as the rain pattered against the tiles above me. I sighed heavily, sinking onto the bed. I was already dreading my day at school tomorrow, knowing that I would see Becky, and have to listen to her talk about me constantly, like I was some sort of wildlife exhibit.

I jumped, as the light beside me started to flicker on and off, the sound of the rain getting louder.

_It must be the weather,_ I thought. _It must affect the electricity around here. _Suddenly, the lights went out completely, leaving me guided only by the faint light of the moon.

"Shoot," I cursed, fumbling around in the dark. Oddly enough, I could still hear the television on downstairs. Maybe the freak power loss had only affected my room...? I tried to find a torch.

"So, you're a student now, are you?" a voice said, coming out of nowhere.

"Gah!" I screamed, whirling around. A tall, red haired woman sat in the rocking chair by the window, her black eye patch illuminated in the silver light of the moon.

"Who...?"

"Did your parents really think I wouldn't find you?" the woman ignored me. "I will always be able to find you, Melody. You're so predictable – ever since you were a baby. Oh, don't try to remember me, dear. I've been far too clever with your little head."

"You...know me?" I said tentatively.

"Of course I know you. I have always been there, Melody, watching you. All through the years. I was there on your first day at Leadworth Comprehensive. You were so intimidated, in your pleated skirt and white shirt with jam over it."

"How did you know that?"

"You want to be a professor, don't you? I've seen your future, Melody. Professor River Song. Do you really not know who she is? You took her name to hide from me. Did you really think I wouldn't work it out eventually?" She smirked. "You'll never be able to escape me, Melody Pond, whatever your weak little parents do to protect you. I will always come for you."

"What?" I stared at her. "How do you know my name? Who are you? What are you doing here? How do you know who I am?"

"I made you who you are, little Time Lord. The curse has already begun – your story is already unfolding. The next time we meet, you will join me, ruling at my side. The evil in you will see to that, I can feel it."

"But-!"

"You can't escape destiny, Melody Pond. Some things cannot be stopped..."

A flash of lighting streaked across the room, making me cringe backwards. When I could see again, the lights had flickered back on, and the seat by the window was empty...

_**A.N: Ooh! What's going on?! Next chapter is coming up as soon as I can (and it features Vlad!)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A.N: Sorry I haven't updated in so long! Here's a long chapter to make up for it! Enjoy!**_

I didn't sleep well that night. My dreams were filled with women in eye patches, creepy nursery rhymes and dark haired boys staring at me on the edge of my vision, watching me all night. It woke me in the early hours of the morning, and I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, until my alarm went off at six-forty-five. Even then, I was showered and dressed within twenty minutes, and soon found myself slumped over a plate of toast and jam.

"Are you alright, Pond?" The Doctor asked me, looking concerned. "I heard you talking in your sleep last night. Something like "Not that song again"."

"I'm fine," I mumbled. "Just a creepy dream."

"What about?"

"Oh...nothing," I lied. "Just this song that's been going around my head recently. Nothing to worry about."

"Oh." The Doctor's face brightened immediately. "Oh, well, if that's all..."

"Yeah." I finished the food on my plate, dumping it into the sink. "Anyway, I should go. School and everything."

"Are you settling in okay, Melly Pops?"

"Dad, I've only been there a day!" I protested. "I can't tell yet! Don't worry, it'll be a breeze. I actually LIKE school." I kissed him goodbye, before getting my bag and walking out of the front door. A light drizzle was falling, as I crunched across the gravel to get to my truck, which was parked on the brick driveway. The rain was not enough to soak me, but little beads of moisture clung to the soft material of my dark jacket that was pulled over my plain shirt and jeans. I still didn't have a Garside uniform like everyone else. I slammed the door of my truck, struggling to turn on the ancient, rusting heater, sending odd gusts of warm air over my hands, as I reversed out of our driveway, nearly denting the back of my truck with the tiny stone wall that separated our garden from next door.

The drive to school seemed quicker today, and, before I knew it, I was pulling into the nearest space in the student lot. Sighing, I clutched my timetable, and got out of the driving cab. I had to make the most of what I had. I would get through my self-inflicted exile in silence, and then, hopefully some college in New Zealand would offer me a scholarship. Dreaming of sunny weather, sheep and hobbits, I wandered into Miss McCauley's classroom, and slid into my seat. Becky, who was sitting behind me, was the only one who acknowledged my existence.

"Oh, look," she said loudly. "Melody Smith's here. Pity."

"Shut up, Becky," someone said, as Becky and her friends cackled together.

"Why should I?" Becky shot back, suddenly sounding annoyed.

"Alright, that's enough, girls." Miss McCauley's voice echoed around the classroom as she entered. "Now, today, we'll be discussing the theme of bravery. Can anyone think of anyone throughout history that has been particularly brave?"

"Martin Luther King!" Someone shouted.

"Malcolm X!"

"My mum!"

"Very funny, Perkins," Miss McCauley said. "Anyone else?"

"Rosa Parks!"

"Lady Jane Gray!"

"Britney Spears!" Someone called out, causing the rest of the class to titter.

"Alright, thank you, Rosalie -" Miss McCauley began, but she had lost control of the class.

"Homer Simpson!"

"Madonna!"

"Justin Bieber!"

"Justin Bieber isn't brave!"

"He is! I wouldn't want to show my face in public again if I found out how truly crap my singing was!"

The two girls having this conversation burst into giggles. The responses kept coming.

"Dennis the menace!"

"Simon Cowell!"

"Melody Smith!" Becky said, just loud enough for me to hear. "I mean, I wouldn't be able to show my face if Dr Smith was MY father."

_'Shut up'_, I thought, bitterness and hatred for Becky poisoning my insides. It stayed there, until the bell rang, and I escaped from my seat.

"Miss Pond?" Miss McCauley called to me, and I paused in the doorway. "Can I have a word?"

"Um...sure."

"Teachers pet," Becky muttered, pushing past me. I ignored her childish jib, and waited until the room had filed out. I saw that the blonde girl from the canteen yesterday paused slightly in the doorway, giving me a tentative smile, before disappearing from sight.

"Melody?" Miss McCauley asked me. "How are you finding it here at Garside Grange?"

"Fine," I lied, my voice quiet.

"I noticed that one of the girls isn't being too pleasant."

"Yeah, well, what can you do?" I shrugged. "Can I go, please? I have a class to get to..."

"Oh, well, yes, of course." I turned hastily, eager to escape my interrogation.

"Melody?" Miss McCauley called after me, just as I stepped out of the door. I looked back. "If there's anything going on...anything you want to talk about...I am here. Whatever you want to talk about, I'll listen. You can speak to me about anything."

I almost laughed. There was no way I could ever speak to Miss McCauley about anything that was going on in my life.

"Thank you, Miss," I replied instead, turning quickly into the corridor. As soon as I turned, I collided with someone. I toppled to the floor, inelegantly, dragging my victim with me.

"Oh, god!" I yelped, leaping up from the floor. "I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there -"

"No worries," A voice said. I looked up, into the deep blue eyes of the boy from the canteen. He had my timetable in his hand, which was outstretched, offering it to me.

"Oh, err...thanks," I took it from him.

"You're the new girl, aren't you?"

"Second day," I admitted.

"It's...Melanie Smith, isn't it?"

I sighed. "Melody Pond."

"Oh. Melody. Okay."

I nodded awkwardly, before stepping around the boy, whose name I still didn't know, and hurrying to my next class. I groaned silently, as I remembered what class I had. Gym. Wonderful - it was just what my day needed.

I walked into the sports hall, hiding my face with my dark hair. I was late anyway - the netball games had already started, a formidable woman with grey hair watching them. I walked towards her. Becky groaned loudly.

"Watch out, Smith's here," she called to her friends.

"Who are you?" The teacher asked abruptly.

"I'm Melody Pond," I replied. "It's only my second day, so..."

"Why are you so late?"

"I got lost," I lied. She didn't look convinced.

"Where's your school uniform?" She barked.

"I haven't got any," I admitted quietly.

"She can't afford any," Becky yelled. "Because Dr Smith spends all of their money on abducting kids! The freak."

_'Shut up, little WITCH!'_ I cursed inside my head.

"Gardner! Get on with the game!" The teacher snapped, looking at me with a flicker of pity in her wolf-like eyes. "Well, Miss Pond, I'm Coach McGee, your P.E teacher. I'm guessing you don't have a P.E uniform either?" I shook my head. "I guess what you're wearing now will do. Just leave your bag down here and you can join this game here. Do you know how to play netball?"

"In theory, yes," I replied. "But, we never did it at my old school."

"I'm sure you'll pick it up soon enough," Coach McGee said, shooing me in the direction of the game, causing groans to ripple through my new team. However, one of them, a curly-haired girl that looked a bit like River Song, came over to me.

"Hi," she greeted me. "It's Melanie, right?"

"Melody," I corrected.

"Melody...Smith, yes?"

"Pond. It's Melody Pond."

"Oh. Really? Becky said that you took Dr Smith's name."

"I'm sure that Becky did say that," I replied darkly. "But, I took my mum's maiden name, which is Pond."

"Sure," The girl held out her hand. "I'm Marlene Foster. Which position in netball are you best at?"

"Um...front?" I said lamely, blushing. "Sideways? The back?"

"How about you be GK?"

"What's GK?" I asked, blushing harder.

"Goal Keeper. Did you really not do netball at your old school?" I shook my head. "Well, basically, you have to stop the shooter on their team scoring, by hitting the ball off to one of us. Got it?"

"Well, yeah, but I -"

"Don't worry about it." She lowered her voice. "I know that Becky's being really insensitive to you, and that's unfair. I mean, I couldn't imagine moving here to live with the freak of Garside town...what must it be like for you, poor thing?"

_'Is she trying to be sensitive?'_ I wondered. _'Because I'd hate to see insensitive.'_

"It is a bit different," I said aloud.

"I think that at our age, a girl needs her mother -"

"Marlene!" Becky called, interrupting our conversation. "Come on! Why're you standin' there talking to the freak?"

"Coming!" Marlene flashed me a smile, before running off to Becky.

I wished that I'd lied about knowing what netball was, when the class was over. I missed the ball every time it came my way, and the one time it didn't, I managed to hit practically every member of my team with it - all from one throw! I ran straight out of class as soon as the bell rang, cheeks flamed, Becky's cackling laughter ringing in my ears.

Well, one good thing did come out of my disastrous first Gym lesson. I gained a new friend. Marlene came to sit with me and Sarah that lunchtime, Becky sending me furious, deathly glares as Marlene ate with us. I wondered what on earth Becky's problem was.

"Err...earth to Melody Pond?" Sarah's voice cut across my thoughts.

"Sorry." I blushed. "Miles away."

"How do you like Garside so far, Melly?" Marlene asked.

"It's...different," I said carefully.

"Where are you from, again?"

"A little country village called Leadworth."

"I've never heard of it," Sarah said, as the bell rang for afternoon class.

"Where's your next class, Melly?" Marlene asked me. I didn't like her calling me Melly - it was bad enough with The Doctor calling me Melly Pops. However, I couldn't be bothered to correct her.

"Double art. With some teacher called Mr Birchwood." I hitched my bag strap up my shoulder, sighing.

"I'll take you," Marlene said. "I'm near there. See you later, Sarah." We waved goodbye, before Marlene led me out of the canteen, and up a small flight of stairs, to a tiny room painted with pale peach paint, which was hidden behind the copies of famous paintings. Marlene gave me a smile, before vanishing from view, as I glanced around the room. About ten students were already sitting down, behind wooden picnic benches, sketching on large, crisp sheets of A3 paper. Mr Birchwood, a tall, balding man, was seated at a desk at the front of the room, tapping away at a computer. He looked up, as I neared him.

"Melody Pond, I presume," he greeted me. I nodded, giving a smile at him. "Well, here's some paper for you. At the moment, we're drawing something that best describes our homes - as part of our coursework, yes?" I nodded again, taking the A3 sheet from him. "Where should we sit you? How about...over there, next to Vladimir Count?" I glanced across the room, as the person named Vladimir looked up at his name being called. I realised, with a jolt, that it was the dark haired boy from the canteen, and the person I had bumped into this morning. I gave him a shy nod, before scuttling to the seat beside him.

"So, we meet again," he said, when I sat down.

"Seems like it."

"At least I didn't get rugby tackled to the floor this time...do you do that to every new person you meet?"

"Ha ha, FUNNY," I muttered, but my mouth twitched into a smile.

"You're laughing."

"No, I'm not."

"Oh, but you are."

"Shut up, _Vladimir_." I raised my eyebrow.

"Call me Vlad."

"Okay. Vlad, then. Still - shut up."

He laughed, as I bent over my piece of paper and started to sketch out something absentmindedly. I hadn't realised what I was drawing until, half an hour later, I finished. I'd drawn the TARDIS control room. Well, it certainly described "home".

"That's good." I jumped, realising that Vlad was watching me.

"Thanks. So is...yours..." I frowned at his drawing. "Whatever it's meant to be." It looked like some kind of broach or something, with a dragon sculpted on it.

"It's been in my family for generations," he replied. "I thought it was sort of symbolic. What's yours meant to be?"

"I don't know. Sort of how I feel about my home..." I tailed off, not sure what else to say in my lie. I tried to tactfully change the subject. "So...how long have you been here at Garside?"

"Four years."

"Ouch," I said.

"Let me guess – you can't wait to get out of here, right?" His expression was amused.

"Right," I said firmly. "I'm hoping to go and live with the sheep in New Zealand."

"New Zealand? Why New Zealand?"

"What's wrong with New Zealand?"

"Why would you want to go and live with sheep?"

"Well, duh. Isn't it obvious?"

"No, it isn't."

"Well, I'm a vegetarian, so I want to go to New Zealand and get a scholarship and stop the production of meat products around the world."

"Which brings me back to my first question – Why New Zealand?"

"Which brings ME back to "What's wrong with New Zealand?"."

"We're just going round in circles, aren't we?"

"Looks like it." I raised an eyebrow, as the bell went for the end of the day. I jumped. I hadn't realised that two hours inside Garside Grange could go so quickly.

"Mr Count, Miss Pond," Mr Birchwood said, as the rest of the class filed out of the room. "Could you do me a favour and organise the art supplies? It should only take a few minutes with the two of you together."

"Uh...okay," I said, dumping my bag back on my seat. He gave us both a smile, before walking out of the room.

"Well..." I turned to Vlad. "We just keep running into each other, don't we?"

"You're not going to rugby tackle me again, are you?"

"I'd rather not, thanks."

"Good to know."

We worked in silence for the next few minutes, discreetly flicking water at each other when we thought the other wasn't looking. The silence was broken when we had nearly finished.

"Where're you from?" he asked me.

"Leadworth. It's this little country village that no one's ever heard of."

"Is your family from Scotland?"

I stared at him, eyebrow raised at his abrupt question. "What makes you say that?"

"You have a slight Scottish accent. Didn't you know that?"

"No," I frowned. "So, part of my mother really did find its way into me. Huh. How about that, eh? Never thought I'd see – OW!" I'd closed my fingers around of one of the sharpening knives, cutting through the layers of skin. I dropped the knife into the sink, as scarlet blood oozed out of my hand, dripping down the inside of my sleeve.

"Ew!" I groaned, grabbing a paper towel, trying to mop up the fountain of warm blood. I glanced around, but Vlad was not beside me anymore. He had flattened himself against the wall, and was staring at my hand, which was still spitting out blood, eyes wide as saucers.

"Uh...are you alright?" I asked.

"Sorry...I can't...blood...I just..." He turned and practically sprinted from the room.

"What...?"

_**A.N: Next chappie up soon**_


	5. Chapter 5

The first thing I noticed when I woke up the next morning was that something was different in terms of the weather. It was the light coming from outside my window. It was still the typical grey light that I usually saw on the never-ending cloudy days in Garside town, but it was clearer. I realised that there was no fog veiling my window. I jumped out of bed and ran to the window, before groaning in horror. A fine layer of snow covered the front garden, dusted the top of my brick-coloured truck and whitened the road. But, that wasn't what bothered me. All the bad weather had frozen overnight, making the driveway a deadly ice rink. I had enough trouble staying upright when the ground was dry - it might be safer for me to hibernate under the duvet for the rest of the day. Although, it was February - what should I have expected?

The Doctor was nowhere to be seen when I got downstairs. In a lot of ways, living with my dad was like having my own place. I threw down a bowl of cereal and some orange juice straight from the carton. I felt excited to get to school, and that scared me slightly. I knew that it was because I was interested in Vladimir Count. Not in THAT way, but I was slightly suspicious of him. Him and his dramatic reaction to a drop of blood, and the way he could move across a room in two seconds.

It took every ounce of my concentration to make it down the icy brick driveway alive. I almost lost my balance when I reached my truck, but I clung onto a wing mirror and managed to survive. Clearly, today was going to be a nightmare.

Driving to school, I tried to distract myself from my fear of falling. My truck seemed to have no problems navigating the black ice that covered the roads. I still drove at the pace of a snail - no need to cause a pile of destruction in my wake.

When I arrived at school, I saw why I'd had so little trouble on the roads. I walked to the back of my truck - carefully holding the side for support - to examine my large tires. The Doctor had gotten up at some ungodly hour to change the tires and put snow chains on my truck. My throat suddenly felt chocked up, and I swallowed back the urge to cry about my father's unspoken concern.

"NO!" The shout caught me by surprise, and I looked up, seeing several things simultaneously - much quicker than a human would be able to.

Vlad Count was standing against the wall about four metres away from me, staring in my direction in absolute horror. My eyes followed his gaze, falling on the dark blue van, skidding on the ice.

Heading straight for me.

It was going to hit the back of my truck and squash me in between them. I barely had the time to close my eyes.

Suddenly, I was airborne, being flung through the air like a rag doll, landing hard on the ice, my head cracking against the icy blacktop, as something solid pinned me to the ground, at the same time I heard the ear-splitting crunch of something solid smashing into the side of the van. I felt tiny showers of glass falling down on me, and my hands closed around my head to protect my face. Everything was silent for a second, before the screaming started. Everyone was fighting to get close to me, yelling out concerned questions. My eyes flickered open, glancing around the accident. I was shaking, shards of glass falling off my jacket, as I raised my head. Students were pushing around the van, some holding video cameras and mobile phones, filming my shocked features.

"Nobody move!" Someone instructed.

"Get Rebecca out of the van!" Someone else called.

"Dial 999!"

"Hey, Melody, are you alright?" Someone else said, but, this time, I recognised the voice. Vlad was crouched next to me, leaning against my truck, arm around my shoulder, trying to comfort me. I stared at his concerned face, before my gaze travelled along his arm, to his right hand. His eyes followed mine.

His hand was pressed against the van, making a hand-print shaped dent in the passenger door. His eyes went back to my face, as he dropped his hand, helping me up.

"You..." I tailed off. "You were...over there..."

"I..."

"How...d'you get here so...fast?" I demanded, confused. I had been raised on science and the universe - being able to travel as fast as that was impossible. It broke the laws of human biology. Even I couldn't move that fast, even Dad couldn't move that fast. So, then, what the heck had just happened?

Vlad was still standing there in silence, arm around my shoulder, mouth open slightly, eyes full of...worry?

"I saw you..." I began again, but I tailed off, just like before.

"Please, don't."

"Don't what?" I asked, brow furrowing.

"Trust me."

I could hear the sound of members of staff fighting to get to us, so I nodded. Vlad relaxed slightly, helping the two teachers who I didn't know, and Miss McCauley get me out of the way safely.

"Are you alright, Vlad?" Our head teacher asked, as one of the teachers started to brush the glass off my coat.

"No blood, no foul." He held up his hands. "Melody hit her head pretty hard."

"Traitor," I muttered under my breath. I thought it was too low for him to hear, but he heard, chuckling at my tone. Just then, a large ambulance screeched through the school gates, sirens blaring. Most students cheered, but Becky looked furious.

"She survived," I heard her mutter. "Pity." I glared at the floor, as the paramedics tried to strap me onto a stretcher and load me into the back of the ambulance. Vlad refused his stretcher and sat in the front. It was maddening, to say the least.

When we got to the small Garside Hospital, Vlad glided through the doors of his own free will, whilst I was wheeled in like a wheelie bin. I growled at anyone who dared come near me, as I sat myself on one of the beds in the emergency ward, and shut the pastel curtain that sealed me off from the other beds. Hopefully, it wouldn't be Dad's shift today, and I could just pretend that it never happened.

No such luck, though. About twenty seconds later, the curtain was ripped away and I was faced with The Doctor's worried expression. I waved cheerfully.

"Hi, Doctor."

"Do you have any idea how worried I was?" He demanded.

"But, I've just got here."

"You were nearly hit by a car!"

"All in the past, all in the past!"

"It was five minutes ago!" The Doctor pulled me into a warm hug. "I thought you were dead when they first brought you in."

"Sure, because dead people always growl at paramedics!" I rolled my eyes. "Can I go back to school now?"

"I'm not letting you go home in this state!" The Doctor protested. "No, you'll come back home with me."

"Can I at least go back to school and drive myself home? I need to get my truck." He looked torn, and so I softened my voice. "Don't worry, Dad."

"Doctor," he corrected.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." I waved his correction away. "I'll be fine, Doctor."

He bit his lip, deciding. Finally, he spoke. "Alright. You can go. How will you get there?"

"I'll walk."

"You?" The Doctor looked disbelieved. "In this weather?"

"I have lampposts to hold on to," I replied. "Don't you worry – I'll be fine."

Eventually, after a long debate, he let me go, and I wandered out into the rain that was starting to fall. At least the temperature was warmer, and the ice was melting a little bit, so that I could walk without sliding over like a bowling pin. Of course, it was still a nightmare, and I had to scale my way from car to car, making it back to Garside Grange without a scrape on me. Most of the students were already in class, and the car park had police tape wrapped around it, my truck parked by the gate. It was mostly undamaged, except with a large dent in the back of it. Most people would say that it was from the van hitting it, but the dent seemed to strangely fit the shape of someone's shoulders – namely a certain Mr Count... I blinked, frowning. It was as if he'd braced himself against the frame of the truck to take the weight of the van, to stop it... My eyes glanced over to the van that was encased inside the police tape. The passenger door was dented with the shape of Vlad's handprint, the paint chipped, the head lights cracked, all the windows shattered. That must have been where all the glass had come from. I shook my head.

'_Stupid',_ I thought. _'Who can destroy a van with one hand? Ridiculous.'_

I got into my truck, trying to dodge the rain that was now falling from the sky. I pulled my jacket around my shoulders. For some reason, I was freezing. I never usually got cold, but now I was shaking. It was probably just the shock catching up with me. But, then again, I had seen people trying to kill me before, and some had nearly succeeded, and I had been fine. I hadn't been in shock - maybe a bit shaken, but that was it. I switched the heater on, huddling towards it, letting my hair fall over my eyes.

When I had finished shaking, and my breathing was calmer, I started the engine, and pulled out of the car park, and out onto the road. The rain was coming down harder now, so much so that I couldn't see without the wipers on.

I got about half way home, before something started to go wrong. My truck started to slow down, making odd choking noises, smoke coming from the engine.

"No, no, no!" I wailed, pulling over round a corner, by the little road that led to the dethatched houses like the one that I lived in. I got out, hanging onto the truck because of the icy conditions, and fumbled with the bonnet of my truck. I couldn't understand what to do, and so I reached for my mobile. I groaned again - the screen was cracked from being in the accident. I switched it on, squinting at the illuminated screen that appeared.

"NO SINGAL?!" I shrieked. "NO! NO, GOD, NO! WHAT THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW?!"

I gasped, as there was the sound of screeching tires. I hurried out to the road, almost slipping over, as a long black car turned the corner. It looked like a hearse or something. And it was going to run me over in a minute. Again. Cars really didn't like me.

"HEY!" I yelled, and the person driving stomped on the brakes. The car slowed to a stop beside me, and someone got out.

Dark hair. Blue eyes. Vladimir Count.

"Are you blind? Or just a terrible driver?" I asked. "You could have hit me! Were you trying to kill me, since the van didn't do the job?"

"What're you doing out here? It's freezing, and chucking it down!"

"Hello? I was looking for someone to help me, genius! My truck's broken down. You didn't have to nearly run me over for that."

"Here's a hint. Next time, call someone to help you. Don't run out in the middle of the road."

"You think I didn't think of that myself, dumb ass?" I glared at him. I got really grouchy when I was drenched. "There's no signal, and, thanks to you throwing me to one side whilst you stopped a van with your bare hands, my phone's broken. So, thank you for that, Vladdy. Besides, I'm not even supposed to be driving. I don't even have a licence yet."

"Then, why have you got a car?"

"My Dad's friend gave it to me when I arrived."

"Well, you drive well for someone that has no experience."

"As do you," I shot back.

"Ooh, OUCH," he muttered, but he was smirking. "Why don't I give you a lift home?"

"Are you kidding?" I stared at him. "For one thing, you don't know where I live, and secondly, why would I get in the car with a dangerous driver?"

"You can always tell me where you live, and since no one else would be stupid enough to step out into the road, we'll both be fine."

"Both be fine?" I smirked. "If you turn us into a pretzel around a tree, you'll probably be able to just walk away from it, won't you?"

"Probably."

"So, how does that help me?"

"Look, if you spent less time arguing about this, we'd be there by now."

"What about my truck?"

"I can attach it to my car and tow it with us."

I could see that he wasn't going to budge, and so, sighing, I went to the passenger side of the hearse and got in, dripping rain water all over the leather seat. I huddled in my damp jacket, as Vlad got in beside me.

"Where do you live?"

"Number twenty two - just up there," I replied, pointing. "Thanks for this."

"Forget it," he replied, as we drove along. "So, why did you move here?"

"Bit personal, isn't it?"

"I'm curious."

"Fine. My mother remarried a long time ago, when I was younger."

"And, you didn't like him," he said, assuming.

"No, I do...sort of," I said slowly. "It's just...I always got this vibe from him that he didn't like me because I was the child of another guy. So, I just decided to come and live with Dad, because I didn't like feeling like I was an intruder in my own home. Plus, Dad's all alone - he needs me more than Mum does."

"Oh. But, why here? No one ever moves here."

"Does it matter?" I asked.

"No. I guess not."

"What about your parents?"

"My parents are divorced."

"Oh. Sorry."

"I live with my dad too. And my sister and half brother and girlfriend and my sister's boyfriend. We have a large household."

"I can gather that," I said. "Why did your parents split?"

"Bit personal, isn't it?" He was repeating my words from a few moments ago.

"Ah, but this is how it works," I teased. "Personal answer for a personal answer."

"Fine. My mother met another...guy and ran off with him."

"Huh. I know how that feels," I said. I didn't want to say something trivial like "It's okay." I was the kind of person who knew that it wasn't "okay".

"Here we are. Number twenty two." I realised that we'd stopped on the pavement outside the house.

"Oh, right. Thanks for the lift." I got out, trying not to make his hearse damper than it already was. He got out too, walking me to the front door. We both stood in the rain, getting more soaked than we already were, Vlad's ink dark hair sticking to the side of his face. It looked so comical that I started sniggering.

"What?" he asked, looking clueless.

"Nothing," I replied, still grinning. "I'm just...happy."

"Really? If you're this happy, I should try running you over every day."

"Maybe," I agreed, as Vlad went to unhook my truck from the back of his hearse. "Be careful when you pull away. I don't want a large chunk of our wall missing."

"I'll be sure to be careful, melody." He was laughing as he spoke.

"You'd better be," I said, grinning, unlocking the front door, and going inside, waving as I shut the door.

After I had dried off my hair, and changed into clean clothes, I went into the kitchen to start dinner. There was a note pinned to the fridge, with my father's scrawl covering it. I pulled it off, reading it.

_I've gone off on important business, Pond. I'll be back in roughly twenty four hours. If you feel unsafe, go to the TARDIS – Sexy'll keep you safe. Love you, Pond. Doctor. Xxx_

_P.S: You need to call your mother. Sorry, kiddo._

"YOU TOLD MUM!" I yelled, appalled.

My mother was in hysterics, of course. I had to tell her I was undamaged at least fifty times before she would calm down completely. She begged me to come home, but I fought her pleas. I was far too interested in what was going on at Garside. I wasn't eager to escape like a normal person, and that was worrying, not to mention scary.

I decided to go to bed early, since I had nothing better to do – I'd missed all the homework I had probably been set today. I took some Ibuprofen tablets and went to bed with a glass of water.

That was the first night that I had the nightmare.

_**A.N: Don't forget to review and tell me what you think of this story, guys!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_I walked to the back of my truck - carefully holding the side for support - to examine my large tires. The Doctor had gotten up at some ungodly hour to change the tires and put snow chains on my truck. My throat suddenly felt chocked up, and I swallowed back the urge to cry about my father's unspoken concern._

_"NO!" The shout caught me by surprise, and I looked up, seeing several things simultaneously - much quicker than a human would be able to._

_Vlad Count was standing against the wall about four metres away from me, staring in my direction in absolute horror. My eyes followed his gaze, falling on the dark blue van, skidding on the ice._

_Heading straight for me._

_It was going to hit the back of my truck and squash me in between them. I barely had the time to close my eyes._

"NO!" I shrieked, sitting up in bed, blinking sporadically against the dim light of the early morning. I was in my own home, sitting in my own bed, the duvet twisted around my abdomen. I groaned softly, letting my head fall back against the pillow, glancing at my alarm clock. I still had a few hours before I had to get up, but I doubted that I was going to be able to sleep now, so I got up and went for an extra long, extra warm shower. I dressed in lighter clothes for the day – a flowery blouse and white skirt, with a grey jacket over the top. I yanked a hair brush through my messy, unruly dark hair, managing to get it fairly presentable.

I caught up on some non-school related reading during the spare time I had, before I walked out to the truck. After yesterday, all the ice had melted away, and it was safe for me to walk outside without fear of sliding over like I was wearing Rollerblades.

My first class of the day was English, with Miss McCauley. She gave me a small smile, as I walked into the classroom, and slid into the small, singular desk at the front of the room. I found myself smiling back. I never thought I'd be doing that. Several people were being considerably nicer, some pausing by my desk to ask if I was okay. Vlad ventured in just before Miss McCauley started the class. He was talking to the blonde girl that I had seen around a few times, not looking where he was going. He almost fell into my desk.

"Are you trying to kill me two days in a row, Vlad?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

"If I say yes, will you rugby tackle me to the floor again?"

"Ha ha," I muttered, grinning, as he went to his seat at the back of the room.

"Alright, class." Miss McCauley stood at the front of the room. "Now, today, we will be looking at the novel we have been studying, _To kill a Mockingbird_. In this class, we'll be discussing the character of Boo Radely, the town shut-in with a mysterious past – "

"Isn't that Dr Smith?" Becky said from the back of the room.

"Becky Gardner, that's enough. As I was saying, we'll be looking at the character of Boo Radely, and the reasons why Atticus Finch was willing to defend Tom Robinson, in the face of racism."

"I bet _Melody Smith _knows," Becky said. I stared down at my graphitized table, cheeks going red.

"Becky, shut up!" I heard Vlad say. "You know that isn't her name."

"It may as well be. She's living with that freak."

"Watch what you say – I heard that they're a couple," someone joined in.

"Leave it out, Kate." Another voice joined in.

"That's enough, all of you," Miss McCauley turned on them. "Anyway, Harper Lee seems to be saying that you can't truly know a person until you take a walk in their shoes."

'_Harper Lee never met Becky'_, I thought bitterly.

'_**Ignore her.'**_

What? I looked up, but no one had spoke. Great – not only was I the daughter of the town shut-in, I was a crazy lunatic who heard voices, and needed to be hospitalized.

"Melody? What do you think?"

"I think..." I began. "I think it means that you have to give people a chance, and not just insult them or hurt them without giving them a chance."

"You little FREAK!" I heard Becky hiss.

'_Oh, Becky, you have NO idea,'_ I thought to myself, chuckling.

'_**What do you mean?'**_

Ugh, there it was again! I was going crazy...I needed to get back to Leadworth SOON, before I went absolutely nuts.

"Let's discuss Boo Radely now. Why do you think he left out gifts for the Finch children?"

"He's just like Dr Smith," Becky said, just loud enough for me to hear. "A paedophile, who kills children when he's finished with them."

'_Shut up.'_

"I heard that he has that creepy name, like Boo Radely does. What was it? That creepy old bible name that no one uses anymore."

"Becky, give it a REST!"

"Vladimir Count, I will NOT have that shouting in my class!" Miss McCauley barked.

Becky took no notice. "Why're you sticking up for her, Vlad? She's a freak. They both are and everyone knows it."

'_I said shut up.'_

'_**She's not worth it.'**_

'_Stay the hell outta my head.'_

I gripped the chair I was sitting on, trying to control my temper.

"Oh! Melchizedek, that's it. Apparently, he changed his name to John, but he was born with that."

'_Stop it.'_

"My grandmamma says that it's an evil name, just like him. It suits him."

'_Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!'_

'_**I'll deal with this.'**_

"Becky, STOP IT!"

"VLAIDIMIR COUNT! STOP THAT SHOUTING AT ONCE!"

"Hopefully, Dr Smith will burn in hell when his time comes. He deserves it too –"

'_ENOUGH!'_

Glass went flying everywhere, splintering into tiny droplets, as the entire window on the other side of the room shattered...


	7. Chapter 7

It was utter chaos.

The boys were laughing amongst themselves, standing on top of the chairs, throwing a football to one another. The girls were screaming - Becky being the loudest - scrambling out of their seats. I noticed that Becky had been cut pretty bad by shards of glass. Red droplets were falling from the miniscule cuts on her face.

"Don't panic!" Miss McCauley tried to regain control. "Is everyone alright? Anyone hurt?"

"LOOK AT THIS!" Becky howled. "DO I LOOK ALRIGHT?!"

I looked down at my own hands. Perfectly spotless, as always. The glass seemed to have dodged me...hit everyone else in the room but myself.

_'Did...I just do that?'_

"Hey? You alright?" A face appeared in front of my eyes, framed by a mop of blonde hair. I blinked, focusing in on the girl who had been sitting with Vlad a few moments ago, the owner of the voice who had defended me with Becky.

"Melody?" Vlad appeared in the corner of my peripheral vision.

_'I didn't mean to -'_

"I..." I said aloud, trying to form the words. Before they could question me further, I leapt up and bolted from the room.

"Did you see that?!" Becky screeched at my retreating form. "She broke the window! She tried to kill us! She's crazy - she needs to be locked up, just like her dad!"

They sounded like a pack of alley cats, fighting over the scraps of meat, shouting over each other.

"Miss Pond! Come back here! You're not permitted to leave the scene of the accident. Mr Count, don't even think - VLADIMIR COUNT! ERIN NOBLE! ALL OF YOU, GET BACK IN HERE NOW!"

I ran. I wasn't even sure where I was going at first, just as far away from Becky as I could. I found my legs carrying me across the car park, over to the space where my truck was sitting. I hurled myself inside, slamming the door, pulling out of the school grounds, not even caring where I was driving to.

_**'Melody?'**_

Oh, great. It was that voice again. Why had I suddenly started hearing voices?

_**'Look, I don't know why I can hear your voice, and I'm pretty sure you don't know either, but, please, just tell me where you are. Let me help you.'**_

_'No. You don't know what you could get yourself into.'_

_**'I know what I'm doing.'**_

_'No, you don't. You think you do, but you don't.'_

I ignored the voice after that, concentrating on the road, until I found myself sitting in the driveway, in front of the house. I got out, stepping into the light drizzle of rain that was starting to fall.

The house was still empty, which meant that The Doctor wasn't home yet. I wasn't sure what he was going to say about the fact that I was home so early. It was only nine-thirty, and so I grabbed my pocket-sized sketch pad, and walked out into the overgrown back garden, where the TARDIS had been moved to. It was nestled at the bottom of the garden, by the low wall that separated the garden from the footpath that led through the woods. I moved through the tangle of emerald coloured weeds, to sit on a rotting bench under the large cherry tree that The Doctor had planted when he first bought the house. I flipped open the little book, starting to doodle absentmindedly. When I looked properly, I realised that I'd drawn the classroom, the windows shattering, spraying shards of rainbow-glinting glass over us. I groaned, throwing the book to the ground, as I pulled my knees up to my chest, covering my face from view to anyone who could be watching. I swallowed, trying to hold back the sudden burn of tears that formed behind my lids – tears over Becky, tears over hurting someone because of my temper, tears over being stuck in the wasteland that was Garside town. Finally, I was behaving like a rational person.

'_**Melody.'**_ It was the voice again, but not a question anymore. It was a statement, acknowledging that I was found.

'_I told you not to follow me.'_

"I know." The voice in the real world made me jump, raising my head to look at the two figures standing a few metres away from me.

"Go away," I sniffled. "I told you."

"I know," he said again.

"Then, why didn't you?"

"What?"

"Go away?"

"We wanted to make sure that you were okay," the girl replied, smiling at me. "Becky gave you a really hard time."

"I'm fine," I muttered, dragging a hand across my eyes.

"Sure you are," she said, disbelieved. She moved and sat by me. "I'm Erin, by the way."

"Melody. Well, I guess you already knew that."

"Yeah." It was silent for a few moments, as Vlad sat down too, me and Erin shifting along to make room for him.

"They all hate me," I said finally, breaking the silence. "They always hate me, no matter where I am."

"Not all of them. We like you," Erin said kindly.

"You two don't even know me. Give it time – you'll hate me too."

"I almost ran you down. I'll have to be nice to you for the rest of your life, so you don't get me arrested."

I chuckled, turning to him. "You can't help it, can you?"

"What?"

"Fitting in anywhere...spouting charm and charisma."

"See, I never quite know whether you're insulting me or not."

"That wasn't an insult, if you're wondering."

"Good to know."

"What's this?" Erin picked up the pocket-sized sketch book.

"Oh, nothing," I said quickly, but she already had it open, staring at the drawing I had just done.

"Nice," she said. "You've certainly got Vlad's good side...If he actually has one."

"Oi!" Vlad said, frowning, a little crease appearing between his eyebrows.

"I'm just kidding, Vladdy. I love you really," she teased, kissing his cheek. I rolled my eyes.

"Ew," I muttered. "Give me a break."

"Give them a chance, Mels," Erin said. "Garsiders aren't all that bad. I mean, they are, right now. But, they'll get on with their own lives."

"I bet...that they're just jealous," Vlad bluffed.

"Yeah, sure!" I snorted.

"They are," Erin insisted. "I am."

"Then, you're crazy," I scoffed. "There's nothing to be jealous of, unless you're really into eating lunch with complete strangers that don't know anything about you, and probably don't even care." I sighed, picking at the nail on my index finger. "Sometimes, I wish I could just be like everyone else, but I can't change who I am. I've tried. But, I never say the right things, or wear the right clothes, or like the right things. Something always goes wrong. I mean, I don't care if they like me or not. I just don't want them to hate me. I just wish that I could have some friends that knew who I was and who would care if I was in school or not."

'_**We care.'**_

"We care," Erin said aloud, as I heard it in my head.

"Then you really ARE crazy!" I chuckled.

'_**C'mon, Melody. Surely we're meant to be friends. You, me, and Erin. Why else would we be linked? Why else would we care?'**_

'_Did you just say "meant to be" in the same sentence as "friends"? Dude, seriously?'_

'_**Technically, it was a different sentence. Besides, you're already my friend.'**_

'_I can't be.'_

'_**Why not?'**_

'_I'm not safe.'_

'_**What do you mean?'**_

I laughed suddenly, shaking my head.

'_Oh, you'd never believe me.'_

'_**Try me.'**_

"Am I missing something here?" Erin looked confused.

"No," I said. "Don't worry."

"What's a police public call box?" I looked up. Vlad had moved, and was now standing at the TARDIS door, reading the sign on the front.

"Oh, it's a telephone box. From 1959. Dad bought it in a junkyard, I think. We keep it as a creative-looking statue," I lied fluently.

"It says _'Push to open'_."

"Well done, genius," I said.

Vlad rattled the door. "It's locked. Is it a genuine one?"

"I assume so."

"What's inside?"

"How am I meant to know?" I raised an eyebrow. "Nothing, I suppose. Does it matter?"

"No, I guess not."

"Well, then."

"Did they really make them like this? Out of wood?" Erin touched the handle of the door. At any other time in the world, I'd have panicked, but I knew that the TARDIS would keep her out if I wanted her to.

'_Don't let her in,'_ I sent towards the box. _'Don't let either of them in.'_

'_**Who are you talking to?'**_

Crap! I'd forgotten about Vlad being able to hear everything I thought. Although, why he could, I had no idea.

'_No one. Forget it.'_ He dropped the telepathic conversation, but kept giving me an odd look out of the corner of his eye. I bit my lip, praying that he'd forget everything by tomorrow morning...

_**A.N: Sorry, these past two chapters have been shorter than the others, but, I hope that you readers are enjoying them. Also, I realised that I needed to thank my reviewer who reviewed the first chapter of this story. Thanks to **__**Mygayshoes**__** for your review – sorry it took so long for me to thank you (my timing has been all over the place since...well, forever!) Next chapter up soon!**_


	8. Chapter 8

"So...are you both from around here?" I asked, getting some glasses out of the cupboard.

"Oh, no, neither of us are," Erin replied, leaning against the kitchen doorframe. "I'm originally from Phoenix."

"As in Phoenix, Arizona?"

"Yeah. And, Vlad's from Stokely."

"That's a village in...Wales, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. How have you heard of it? Practically everyone else I know doesn't even know that it exists."

"Oh, I don't know. I think I went there once. A long time ago - I don't even remember it very well." I shrugged as I spoke, pouring out some orange juice. "Were you born in Stokely?"

"No. I moved there just before my thirteenth birthday."

"With your Mum and Dad?"

"Nope, just my sister, Dad and me?"

"Oh. Guess it must have been weird for you. Y'know, going from a small family like that to a large one."

"You could say that."

"What about you?" Erin asked me, as we sat at the kitchen table and I handed them their drinks. "Where are you from?"

"Leadworth."

"I've never heard of it."

"It still exists," I muttered drily.

"I take it that you're not too happy about that."

"Well, not really, no." I sighed as I spoke. "My mum's new husband lives there. I don't like him. I mean, I do...but I don't. It's complicated."

Vlad gave me a sad smile. "It's always complicated, Melody."

"I just..." I bit my lip, not sure how to form the words. "I...I'm tired of having to travel miles and miles away to see my other parent. I mean, I always felt like...like Rory got in the way, like he was the one that broke up my parents, but now I know that those feelings are unfair, because..." I tailed off.

"What?"

"Because...because..." I tried to speak. "Because Mum was already married to Rory before I was...y'know...before I..."began", so to speak."

"Oh." Erin went red. "I'm sorry - I shouldn't have asked. It's none of my business."

"No, it's okay." I gave her a small smile. "It's part of who I am - no point crying over it when I can't change it."

Just as the words left my mouth, I heard the front door open and shut.

"Did ya really have to make me take the damn train all the way out here, Doctor?" I heard a thick Scottish accent say. "I mean, was picking me up too much to ask? Now, where's Melody?"

"She's in school! Where did you think she was, Amelia? I expect that her truck broke down and she took the bus." The door opened and two people walked in. "I tell a lie. She's...in here?"

"Melody!"

"Mum!" I leapt out of my seat and rushed over to her. She pulled me into a warm, vanilla-scented hug.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked when I managed to breathe again.

"I thought I'd come to Garside, see how you were. Rory's taken off to Thailand for a week, and so I thought I'd pop by."

"Uh, why aren't you in school, Melly?" The Doctor asked.

"There was an incident," Erin answered for me.

"Incident?"

"A classroom window broke. Melody freaked out and ran away. We came to see if she was alright," Vlad said, the picture of innocence. I raised my eyebrows at him.

"Who are you two?" Mum asked. "Are you two from the school? Melody's friends?"

"Yes," Vlad said before I could protest. I glared at him.

_'We're not friends, Vlad.'_

He grinned at me. _**'Liar.'**_

_'I am not.'_

_**'Are too.'**_

_'Am not.'_

_**'Are too.'**_

_'Dude, I can carry this on all day.'_

_**'Me too.'**_

"I'm Erin," Erin was saying, whilst me and Vlad bickered silently. "And this is Vlad."

"Vlad?"

"Vladimir, really," he said, breaking off our conversation.

"That's...Transylvanian, isn't it?"

"So?"

"No, it's just...you remind me of someone I used to know...a long time ago. I was...a bit crazy then..."

"A "bit" crazy?" Mum teased, grinning. "Huh!"

"What are you suggesting, Pond?" The Doctor said, turning to her. I frowned. Dad always got a far-away look in his eyes when he looked at Mum. It was obvious, to the point of awkwardness, to see that he had never gotten over her, not really. Now I could see why he tended to avoid looking at her whilst he spoke.

"Well, we'd better be off," Erin was saying. "Now, that she's in safe hands."

"I'm fine by myself," I muttered.

"'Course you are, Melody," Vlad said, rolling his eyes.

"Thanks." I glared as they walked past me and out of the front door. I let out a breath that I had been holding, turning to my parents.

"I wonder how that window broke," Mum was saying, off-handed, as The Doctor poured Mum a cup of coffee.

"Some little hooligans in this town..." Dad sighed.

"I did it." The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

"Did what, honey?" Mum said.

"I made the window break."

"Oh, Melody..."

"Why, Melly Pops?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know how...All I know is that I was really angry -"

"About what?"

"Nothing. Just having a bad day. Anyway, at one point, I just lost it, and the window just shattered. Someone got hurt, and...I ran away." My head hung in shame.

"I think YOU'D better deal with this one, Raggedy Doctor," Mum said. "This is more in your field of expertise."

"Well, I'm not sure." Dad took out the sonic and waved it around my head. I ducked warily, in case he hit me with it. "Time lords can dispose of radiation. You must have been so angry in that one moment that you dispelled the anger out of your body, and made the window break...somehow."

"Great. Thanks, Doctor." I raised my eyebrow.

*DWYD*

I was suspended over the window incident in the end.

Becky had told everyone that I was a crazy, unstable vandal, who had rigged the window to break. No one believed her that much, but Miss McCauley couldn't deny the fact that I had run out of class, which was classed as truanting. As a result, I, Vlad and Erin were all suspended for three days. Yippee.

"It wasn't my fault!" I complained, as I sat on my bed with Mum, doodling across my maths textbook. "I mean, sure, I broke the window, but no one else saw that apart from Becky."

"What is it with you and this Becky girl?" Mum asked, clicking her heels together.

"I don't know. She's always hated me, and Dad, even though I've never spoken to her. Vlad and Erin stick up for me, but..."

"They seem nice, those two," Mum commented. "You have a good taste in friends, Mels."

"Do I?" I blinked. "Well...thanks."

_'Maybe it would be better if we were friends...'_

_**'I knew you'd come round to my way of thinking.'**_

_'Shut up, Vlad!'_

I could hear him chuckling in his mind.

"Are you okay?" Mum asked, frowning. "You've got your angry face on again. You've been getting that face all evening."

"It's just something that's bugging me." _'Huh, more like SOMEONE, always interrupting my thoughts.'_

_**'Oi! What's fun about being mentally linked if you can't enjoy yourself with it?'**_

_'Ha ha, FUNNY.'_

'_**Yes, I am.'**_

_'Shut up.'_

_**'Fine.'**_

"MELODY!"

"Sorry!" I yelped. "Carried away in thought again."

"You've become ever so dreamy since you got here. What's your father done to you?"

"Nothing. I'm just..."

"Chilled out, right?"

"Right," I agreed, surprised to find out that I was.

_**'I have that affect on people.'**_

_'VLAD!'_

_**'Sorry. No more interruptions.'**_

_'...'_

_**'Promise!'**_

_'Ahem...'_

"You're doing it again!" Mum sighed. "I don't know what's got into you, Melody Pond."

"Sorry." I focused on real life. "I just...I'm just tired."

"Me too. If only your father would USE that TARDIS once in a while...then maybe I would have to catch trains every time I want to see my only child."

"I'm not worth all the hassle," I said aloud.

_**'You are!'**_

_'Vladimir...'_

"You are worth it!" Mum suddenly pulled me into a hug. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, Melody Allison Pond. You are the most important, unique, beautiful person in the world, and you should never think anything less of yourself, yes?"

"Yes, Mum."

_**'Sorry, but Erin beats you at the 'beautiful' part. Just saying.'**_

_'Aren't you slightly biased? Since she's your girlfriend?'_

_**'True, true.'**_

"In the clouds again," Mum said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Right, dilly daydream, I'm going to bed."

"Night, Mum," I said, as she got off the bed and left the room.

_**'Night, Amelia!'**_

_'Dude, seriously! I'm trying to sleep!'_ I switched my light off and burrowed under the duvet.

_**'I'll shut up. Can do.'**_

_'Doesn't seem to be going very well so far.'_

_**'Not my fault. I'm a night person.'**_

_'Good for you. Night, Vladdy.'_

_**'Night, Melly.'**_

_'Oi! No one calls me that!'_

_**'Your father does.'**_

_'How -?'_

_**'Telepathic, remember? I can probe around in your brain. Sort of. I can only see what you're thinking at that moment. I heard you thinking about how your Dad calls you Melly Pops, so...'**_

_'You tell anyone about that...'_

_**'Your secret is safe with -'**_

_'...Vlad?'_

_**'!'**_

_'Vlad!'_ I sat up in bed, even though there was no one in the room with me and I couldn't see. I could feel that something had happened. _'Vlad!'_

_**'I can't...I don't...What's going on? I - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!'**_

_'Vlad? Vlad! Vlad, what are you -'_

"Owww!" I shrieked out loud, clutching my head. It throbbed painfully, and I closed my eyes.

"Melody!" Mum burst into the room, the light from the landing blazing in behind her. "What's wrong?" I blinked sporadically, feeling the pain dim and fade, until it was gone completely.

"I'm...I'm fine." My voice was shaky.

"What happened?"

"Sort of tripped over myself in my sleep and banged my head. It's nothing."

"Melody..." Mum sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm going to sleep now," I said, yawning. "Night, Mum."

"Night," she replied, but her face was still concerned as she walked out of the room. I waited until she was gone, before sitting up again.

_'Vlad?'_ There was no answer. _'Vlad, are you there?'_ Still nothing.

Something had just happened, I knew it. But, what? Whatever it was, it had cut off the link between me and Vlad.

I didn't know whether to be glad or worried about that...


End file.
